


Solid Wingman

by OhThatsViolet



Category: Apex Legends (Video Games)
Genre: Crushes, Double Dating, F/F, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Flirting, Friendship, M/M, Misunderstandings, Playing wingman, Trapped In A Closet
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-23
Updated: 2020-11-23
Packaged: 2021-03-09 23:47:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,257
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27684469
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OhThatsViolet/pseuds/OhThatsViolet
Summary: When Elliott discovers Ramya's crush on Natalie, he begins a mission to set them up on a date. He decides he needs some help and gets Natalie's friend Octavio on board, to be his fake double-date.
Relationships: Mirage | Elliott Witt & Rampart | Ramya Parekh, Mirage | Elliott Witt/Octane | Octavio Silva, Rampart | Ramya Parekh/Wattson | Natalie Paquette
Comments: 2
Kudos: 40





	Solid Wingman

**Author's Note:**

> Find me on Tumblr and Twitter: ohthatsviolet

"Hey, Wattson? How do these things stay powered, exactly?"   
Natalie turned to face her teammate who was stooped over, inspecting her fences with an overly-inquisitive look on his face. She walked towards him, each step feeling heavier than the one before it.   
"You've never taken an interest in my work before, Mirage. What are you planning?"   
The trickster rose to his feet, almost looking offended by the question.   
"Nothing they're just...cool, y'know?" he explained, looking down at his feet. "I guess you could say you... _sparked_ my interest in electricity. I hope you don't find me asking... _offensive_. Get it? Cause-"   
Natalie offered him a half smile before excusing herself, saying she wanted to make sure the building they were cooped up in was properly defended.   
Elliott sighed and turned to face Ramya, who was leaning against the wall watching their exchange unfold.   
"Man, I don't get it. This thing with Crypto and Caustic happened forever ago and she's still all...sad."   
"I don't think you're helping the situation, Witt. Listening to your failed comic routine isn't gonna help anyone."   
"Whatever," he pouted. "At least I'm trying to help."   
"I don't know why she's so hung up about it, to be honest mate. It's not like either of them are particularly interesting."   
"You can say that again," Elliott laughed, running a hand over his beard. "She needs...a distraction. A good one."   
The modder hummed in response, looking out the window towards Natalie who was adjusting her fences outside, with a forlorn look on her face. Elliott followed her gaze and it took him a few moments to connect what he was seeing.  
"Oh my God!" he suddenly exclaimed, startling his squadmate. "You!"   
Ramya turned to look at him, her eyebrows knitted in confusion.   
"Me? What are ya on about, Witt?"  
"You have a thing for Natalie!"  
The statement took her by surprise and she took a step back, before quickly regaining her composure.   
"I...no. Don’t be...don’t be daft."  
"Oh, you totally do!" Elliott persisted, a gleeful look on his face. "I’ve seen it! You’re looking at her all, 'oh please don’t be upset about Cryppy-Wippy, Natty-Watty. Pay attention to Rammy-Yammy instead'."  
"Alright, Witt. Be honest with me. How high are you right now?"  
"Not as high as you! You’re high on _loooove_."   
Ramya let out an exasperated sigh, bringing her fingers up to rest against her temple.   
"Alright...say if I did. Like her. Kind of. Which I don’t."  
"Sure."  
"One, I’m pretty sure she doesn’t like me...at all. And two, I’m not...looking for anything like that right now. I’m still trying to work on getting my shop back up and running. Which you still owe me for, by the way."   
"So, let me repay you by setting you up with a hot date!"   
"I’d rather have my tools back. And I’m not talking about the one I’m looking at right now."   
"Oh, come on!" Elliott said. "Lighten up. Let me help! I'm a total, solid wingman!"   
"Just drop it, alright?" Ramya told him, taking one last look out the window before moving away. "I mean it."   
Despite Ramya’s warning, Elliott couldn’t help but think more about it as the game continued. Ramya had been through a lot in the last few months and he thought taking a break from worrying about her shop would do her some good. Technically, he did owe her and what better way to show how much he actually cared than setting her up with a cute girl? Ramya was obviously trying to avoid him on the dropship on the way home, opting to sit next to Anita instead. Elliott’s eyes scanned the ship for any sign of Natalie. Maybe he could try and direct her to sit next to the modder. He eventually spotted her near the entrance to the ship, sitting next to Octavio while they giggled at something on his phone screen. Elliott knew they were friendly but he couldn’t help but wonder if there was something more between them; he’d have to make sure Natalie was actually available before trying to play matchmaker. He needed more information. 

Elliott found himself wandering towards the Legend’s private gym, a few days later. He took a peek inside, looking around the area for his charge. He spotted Octavio near the large windows, sprinting at full speed on one of the treadmills. He’d figured he’d find the runner here but was still unsure on how to approach the conversation. He decided his best bet was to try and act as casual as possible, which he immediately failed at by tripping over his own feet on the way over, which caught the attention of the other male.  
"Hey, amigo. Have a nice trip?" Octavio chortled, tapping the buttons on the treadmill to slow it down to a stop.   
"Uh...y-yeah," the trickster replied, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. "I was actually looking for you. Not in like...a creepy way or anything!"  
The speedster laughed again and grabbed a nearby towel to wipe the sweat off his face. Elliott looked him over while he did so. He wondered if Natalie would even be interested in someone like Octavio. Sure, he was handsome enough but he was also brash and impulsive and carefree and was giving him this crooked little smile right now, that could probably light up the darkest of rooms. What was he meant to be doing again?  
"So, this is kind of random," Elliott began, after he’d regained his focus. "But, uh...you and Natalie are friends, right?"  
"Yeah, I guess so."  
"Are you like...just friends or..?"   
Octavio gave him a knowing smirk before answering his question.   
"We’re friends. We just hang out with Ajay sometimes. Why, compadre? You interested?"   
"I think I know someone who might be into her."  
"Oh, you meant...Alright, amigo. That's cool. I guess." 

It took some coaxing to get Octavio on board with his master plan. He’d asked the runner to poke Natalie for information; mostly about her opinion on Ramya and to report back.   
"So...what do you think? Does she like her or not?"  
Octavio shrugged in response on the other end of the video call they were having.   
"I don’t know, compadre. Do I look like a dating guru to you?"  
Elliott rested his chin on his hand and sighed.   
"Well...at least tell me what she said."  
"I asked her what she thought of the new girl," Octavio began, scratching the back of his head. "And she said she doesn’t know her too well. But she thinks her jokes are mean."  
"Oh, come on! Ramya’s not mean! Not...all the time."  
"That’s what Nat said."  
The trickster ran a hand through his hair, in thought.   
"They just need time to get to know each other! They’re both into engineering and...stuff. I’m sure they’ll hit it off."  
"I actually mentioned that to Natalie."  
"Oh?!"  
"I just said maybe they should hang out and make something cool together," Octavio explained. "I said they could totally use some of my jump pads as guinea pigs! Anyways, she said she knows Ramya is talented but since she doesn’t know her she’d feel weird about asking her to do something like that."  
"That’s it!" Elliott exclaimed, clicking his fingers. "We just have to get them together and I know they’ll like each other! We just have to think of something. Something good."   
Their plan was foolproof. Well, it was mostly Elliott’s plan but it was still going to work. He’d told Octavio to tell Natalie they were planning a group hangout; or a double date. He and Octavio would pretend to be interested in one another and as soon as they’d gotten the girls together, they’d celebrate a job well done and go their separate ways. But before any of that could happen, he’d have to get Ramya to agree to show up.

He’d been sitting in her makeshift shop at the back of his bar for a while now, and had been trying and failing to get her attention. He slumped over her workbench with a loud sigh, glancing in the modder’s direction to see if it caught her attention. Nothing.   
"What. A. Day," he said, resting his chin in his hands.   
Ramya merely hummed in response, her full focus trained on the weapon she was currently working on.   
Elliott sighed dramatically again, letting his head fall against the workbench with a soft thud.   
"Man…"  
"Witt, don’t you have a bar to run or something?" Ramya suddenly spoke up, turning to face him. "You’ve been under my feet all day."  
"How can I focus on work during a time like this?! I’ve got a huge pre-edic-dick...Problem."  
"Me too. I’m looking right at it."   
The trickster sighed obnoxiously again, until she rested her hands on the workbench and stared down at him.   
"What do you want?"  
"A friendly ear to listen to my woes?" Elliott replied, so sweetly she almost wanted to throw up.   
"My client is expectin’ this by tomorrow," she said, turning back to her work. "Can’t it wait?"  
"Oh, come on! I listen to people’s stories while I work all the time!" he said, jumping up to sit on the edge of her workstation. "It comes with being a bartender."  
"Then go _be_ a bartender."  
"I wanna ask someone out on a date," Elliott began to explain, making sure to hunch his shoulders over. "But I don’t wanna like...mess it up. Would you come with me? Like...I’ll bring a friend. They’ll bring a friend."   
"You want me to go with you...on a double date?"  
"Exactly. See? I knew you were sharp."  
Ramya folded her arms and leaned against her workbench, looking him over.  
"Alright, before I explain to ya why that’s a horrible idea, tell me who this crush of yours is."  
Elliott’s gaze fell on his shoes.   
"Uhh...Octane?"  
If Elliott was honest with himself, he wasn’t expecting Ramya to laugh as hard as she did or for as long as she did. He sighed in annoyance as she clutched at her side while using her other hand to support herself.   
"Oh, mate," she began, wiping a rogue tear off her cheek. "That’s bloody hilarious."   
"Why? What’s so funny?"  
"I knew you had bad taste, I just...didn’t think it was that bad."  
The trickster thought back over the past few days and all of the laughs and ridiculous ideas and conversations he and the runner had shared, trying to pull this plan together and suddenly found himself feeling defensive on his behalf.   
"He’s actually...cool, okay? So, are you going to come or not?"  
"Alright, alright, I’ll do it," Ramya agreed, turning back to her work with a giggle. "But only because I have to see this circus. Whoever he brings with him, better not be a complete weirdo." 

Elliott stood behind the bar, anxiously toying with the strap of his watch. He was hoping this would go well. It had been really difficult trying to keep up this ruse and pretend like he didn't know who Octavio's friend of choice would be, despite Ramya's near-constant probing about it. He hoped she'd be happy when she found out it was actually Natalie who would be in attendance tonight. He was totally confident this plan would play out without a hitch; until Octavio strolled into the bar alone.   
"Hey, mi amigo. Ready for the show?"   
"Keep your voice down!" Elliott hushed him, gesturing towards the back of the bar. "Ramya's in her shop!"   
The speedster pulled up a stool and casually rested his arms against the bartop. Something about this situation wasn't sitting right with Elliott. He looked down and compared his crisp shirt and fitted pants to Octavio's sports gear before leaning in closer.   
"Man, where is Natalie?"   
"Oh, she said she'd meet us later."   
The trickster pursed his lips together.   
"What do you mean? You don't just...show up to a double date without...your half of the double!"   
"What?" Octavio laughed, somewhat nervously. "Compadre, what are you talking about? You...said we were all getting together for drinks and to hang out."   
"Yeah...I meant, hang out as in... _hang out_. You were meant to tell Natalie her and Ramya were gonna...and we were gonna…"   
He'd played this plan over so many times in his head and they had thrown out so many different scenarios during their video calls, that maybe he'd forgotten to fill Octavio in on the _actual_ plan.   
"Well...this got all kinds of awkward," Elliott laughed, pushing himself away from the bar and running a hand through his hair. "I can't believe I messed up this bad. I mean, I can. It kinda happens a lot."   
"So, you told...Ramya she was going on a date with Nat and you were...going on a date with…me?"   
"Y-yeah...and I thought I told you. My uh, bad. Sorry...this is so awkward."   
"It's not a big deal," Octavio replied, scratching the back of his head. "I don't mind. I'm up for anything."   
"Really?!"   
"Yeah, why not? I can't pass up some free drinks."   
"Uh...About that…" 

"Well, well...look at these plonkers."   
Elliott's head whipped around to see Ramya emerging from her shop and sauntering towards them. Even he had to admit she looked cute, having obviously put some effort in for the evening. Her hair was scraped back into a bun on top of her head with strands falling at either side to frame her face. Her flared jeans were paired with a brightly printed top that rose just enough to expose her midriff. She plopped herself into the stool next to Octavio and began looking them over, which immediately sent the trickster into panic mode. He reached forward and grabbed the runner's hand, which took them both by surprise. Octavio met his eyes for a moment before looking away, his palm growing increasingly clammy against his own with each moment that passed.   
"So...how'd this happen?"   
Elliott looked at her timidly.   
"Ugh...well, y'know. It just...did."   
The modder hummed in response.   
"Yeah, I mean...I’ve never really had a proper boyfriend before, so-" Octavio began, only to be interrupted by her.   
"Boyfriend? I thought this was your first date."  
"It...Oh, it is!" the runner continued, trying to ignore the trickster face-palming next to him. "You know me, amiga. I work fast."  
"Seems like it."  
"Can we talk about something else?" Elliott interjected, exasperated. "Ramya, don’t you have to finish getting ready?"  
"What’s wrong with what I’ve got on?!"  
"N-nothing! It’s just...didn’t you say you were gonna wear that jacket with, y’know...the thing?"  
"Yeah, yeah," she replied, waving her hand dismissively as she slid out of her seat. "I can tell when I’m being told to bugger off."

"Well, that was...not a _total_ disaster," Elliott spoke up, as soon as Ramya had re-entered her shop. "Now, quick! Let’s go while she’s not looking!"  
He took Octavio off-guard when he jumped up and slid himself across the bar, taking a hold of his wrist as soon as he landed on the other side, beginning to drag him towards a nearby storage closet.   
"Ayy, amigo! I thought we were only fake-banging. Not that I’m about to complain."  
"No, dumbass. We’re gonna hide in here so Ramya and Natalie have the place to themselves," Elliott explained, shoving the shorter male into the closet. "Wait...did you mean tha-"  
"Bonjour! Is...where is everyone?"  
"Shit! Hide!"   
Natalie peered around the empty bar as she entered, finding no sign of life anywhere.   
"Hello? Elliott? Are you open?"   
Ramya poked her head around the door to her shop, her stomach doing a flip when she spotted who was in the lounge.   
"Natalie?"  
"Oh, hi Ramya!" the electrician replied. "Is Octavio here? He said we were having a group get-together."  
The modder narrowed her eyes at her words, suddenly making the connection. Elliott Witt was a dead man.   
"Uhh...they were here," she replied, awkwardly rubbing the back of her neck. "Bloody Hell...who knows where they've gotten off to."   
"Maybe we should...sit and wait?" Natalie suggested, already making her way towards a table. “I’m sure they’ll be here soon.”

"How do you think it's going so far?" Elliott whispered, peering out through the tiny glass window in the door of the storage closet.   
"Jeez, I don't know, compadre," Octavio muttered. "I can barely see or move in here! My legs are starting to cramp."   
"Shh! Keep it down," Elliott shushed, almost toppling over when the speedster began to try and shuffle around in the confined space. "They'll hear us!"   
Both men's attention was drawn back to the lounge when Ramya began to speak up again.  
"Sooo...you, ah...place high in any matches lately?"   
"I placed the same as you," Natalie replied, a hint of confusion in her voice. "You, Elliott and I were on a squad together last game. Don't you remember?"   
Elliott doesn't think he's ever seen Ramya blush this hard, in the entire time he'd known her. She shuffled about in her seat and wiped her sweaty hands on her jeans before looking back up at Natalie.   
"I'm...sorry. I don't really do this...going on dates crap a lot. Or...ever. I don't really know what to say...or do."   
"Date?" the electrician replied, her own face beginning to burn with embarrassment. "I...Octavio said we were _all_ getting together. This is meant to be a...a date?"   
"Oh my God," Elliott whispered, burying his face in his hands. "I don't think I can watch any more."   
Ramya shrunk back into her seat, looking like she was waiting for the ground to open up and swallow her whole. She opened her mouth to speak, but was interrupted by a service MRVN entering the bar to deliver a pizza to their table before promptly leaving again. Ramya didn't question it and immediately tucked in, desperate to do anything with her mouth besides talk.   
"Who ordered that?" Elliott asked, craning his neck to see if the two women were having any further conversation over their meal.  
"I did," Octavio replied, reaching for the door handle. "I ordered it on my way here. I'm starving."   
The trickster acted quickly and grabbed him by the wrist, stopping him from leaving.   
Octavio looked at him surprised, and it was a shame the lighting was so dim because Elliott thought he saw his cheeks grow a shade deeper when he took his hand away; or maybe he was just imagining it.   
"I already told you we can't go out there yet!"   
"I'm hungry!" Octavio pouted, folding his arms. "I already paid for that pizza and they're gonna eat it all!"   
"We can get more pizza later!"   
"What's the point of staying here?! This 'date' isn't going anywhere!"   
" _You're_ not going anywhere," Elliott said firmly. "Come on, man. I planned this whole thing. At least give them a chance."   
"I gave them a chance! I'm bored! I’m leaving."   
"You're staying here! Come on. Please?"   
The runner shot him a defiant smile before resting his hands against the wooden surface of the door.   
" _Make me_." 

Elliott remembers a lot of shuffling around the closet in an attempt to keep the speedster under control. His hands had flown to his hips at one point, spinning him around to the back of the space as he tried to block his path. Octavio's chest momentarily rested against his own and he could feel his breath on the front of his neck, lulling him into some sort of daze. The next thing he remembers is a loud crash of a shelf falling over, sending cleaning supplies tumbling to the ground, along with both of them. It was his turn to pray for the ground to open up and swallow him up as the door was flung open and Natalie and Ramya were staring down at them, looking less than impressed. Octavio let out a quiet whimper, having taken most of the impact as he lay trapped between the trickster’s legs and the shelves. Elliott looked around the mess and realised they must have been making quite the commotion, before looking guiltily back at his roommate.   
"It's...uh...not what it looks like?" 

Elliott slumped against the bar later that evening, feeling sorry for himself. He was so sure this plan would go off without a hitch and somehow it ended in disaster. The girls had to practically drag himself and Octavio from the wreckage of the storage closet. It was only when he tried to stand and almost toppled over, did the speedster realise he was missing a foot. The group concluded it must have snapped off after they'd gotten trapped under the shelf and Elliott was put on searching duty. There was something quite funny about searching for his fake date's broken foot amongst his cleaning supplies, but he kept it to himself; Ramya and Natalie didn't seem very happy about his attempt to deceive them and he decided it was probably best to not piss them off further. However, he couldn't help but share a joke with Octavio after he'd triumphantly lifted the lost foot over his head. The speedster seemed to find some humour in the situation and offered him an amused smile when he dramatically bowed in front of him, stating if the foot fit, he'd get to marry a prince. He felt immediately dumb for making such a corny joke, though maybe making Octavio smile was worth the pained groan and roll of eyes from Ramya, quickly reminding him that he wasn't living in a fairytale and had disappointed his roommate, when he had intended to do. Again. 

He glanced towards Ramya and Natalie who were huddled over Octavio's leg which was laid out on the bar, as they tried to reattach his foot to its rightful home. Natalie had taken control of the situation but appeared to be having some trouble with some of the smaller screws.   
"Mon dieu," she sighed. "Some of these screws are quite tricky. How do you manage, Octavio?"   
The runner merely shrugged from his spot on a nearby stool.   
"I get other people to do it for me."  
Elliott couldn't help but snicker behind his palm; Octavio really was some sort of brat. It added to his charm, in a weird sort of way that he probably shouldn’t be even thinking about.   
"Hmm...maybe I'm doing something wrong," the electrician mused, trying again.   
"Nah, I don't think it's you. It's these tools that are crap. All my good stuff got lost with my old shop," Ramya said, placing her hand over Natalie's to guide her, before she'd realised what she was doing. "Gotta put some more pressure on, with these. Like this."   
"Oh, merci. That seems to have worked!"   
The modder's face turned bright red when she realised what she was doing and hastily folded her arms over her chest, her gaze falling to her feet.   
"Y-yeah. These tools are a real pain. I have a client at the moment that's looking for a weapon with a specially modded taser built in, and I think I might have to cancel the deal," she continued, laughing awkwardly. "Could use the cash but it's not worth all the shocks I've been getting trying to get it to work."   
"Oh, no! You shouldn't," Natalie replied, turning in her seat to face her more directly. "I have some old tools Papa and I used to use. Maybe you could borrow some, if it'd help?"   
Ramya's eyes seemed to light up at the suggestion.   
"Really?"   
"Of course! It wouldn't feel right about leaving you to struggle if I can help in some way," Natalie told her, with a sweet smile. "Do you have some plans I can look at so I know what tools to get?"   
"Yeah, I've got some in my shop," the modder replied, hopping out of her seat and leading the other woman towards the back of the bar. "I've made a start but...well you're the expert on electricals, right?" 

Elliott watched them leave, happily chatting about various tools and swapping ideas before disappearing into Ramya's workshop.   
"Damn, I'm starting to think I should have just skipped all this and got them to meet at the hardware store instead."   
Octavio laughed quietly, hoisting himself onto the bar to begin reattaching his leg.   
"Do you think they'll hit it off?"   
"I don't know," the trickster sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Maybe. But I guess at least now they might actually find something they have in common. That's a good thing, right?"   
Octavio merely hummed in response, turning around to face him.  
"I guess...now that they've gotten talking, there's no real reason for us to hang out any more."   
Elliott felt a heaviness settle in his chest. He hadn't really thought about that.   
"I...uh...well I mean...I do sort of owe you a pizza. If you're down?"   
The runner's freckled cheeks beamed with a smile, as he nodded enthusiastically. .  
"Yeah, that'd be awesome! Dibs on picking the toppings though."   
Elliott laughed as he grabbed his keys and led Octavio towards the door of the bar.   
"Sure. I figured you earned it after the night you've had." 

Hopefully, he could make this a night Octavio would remember for some more positive reasons. There's no harm in playing wingman for yourself every now and then, right?


End file.
